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A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is disclaiming utterances by President Donald Ramotar that the protest against the exclusion of Guyanese labourers in the construction phase of the Marriott Hotel in Guyana is political.This was disclosed yesterday by Ronald Backer, a member of APNU; during the third day of the ongoing protest in front the Marriott Hotel construction site, Kingston.Backer disputed President Donald Ramotar, who on Saturday, during a press conference at the Miami Hilton said that the issues relating to the Chinese workers constructing the Marriott Hotel are more of a political nature rather than a legitimate concern for Guyanese.The President had said “…that’s not the issue; in fact to me, when I look at the issue, I think it’s more like the opposition looking for an issue to try to make a fight.”Backer, however, is claiming that the protest is a national one, fighting for the rights which have been given away to the Chinese.“We don’t care about the ethnic background of the workers; the real reason for this protest is because Guyanese were not employed, only Chinese; we want to know why they are sidelining the locals,” Backer lamented.Shanghai Construction Group was awarded the contract to construct the Marriott Hotel in Guyana.Winston Brassington, Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) claimed that Government got a reduction of US$9 million in the bid price from the construction company under the condition that it could have control over whom it hires.Brassington had said that the use of a mostly Chinese labour force to construct the hotel was just one of several conditionalities necessary for the facility’s efficient and speedy construction.The official also said that the issue of productivity and communication had been a cause for concern along with the lack of specialized skills needed for the tasks.Social activist,Cheap Wholesale Jerseys, Frederick Kissoon, who yesterday led the protesters chanting “No Guyanese… No Marriott”, “we intend to be here every day until the Chinese go away,” and “the Chinese taking the food out of the Guyanese mouth” said that the protest will go on until Guyanese are hired.“We will go on with this protest until Guyanese are hired and we are planning to step up this campaign by getting the youths involved,” Kissoon said.When asked whether the demonstrators will be losing out financially because of their everyday participation in the protest, he said, “It is a sacrifice they are making for the love of their country and they are walking the extra mile.” |
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